1. Field of the Invention
The preferred embodiments of the present invention relate generally to a structure and related method for treating cattle in feedlot operations. More particularly, the preferred embodiments are directed to a mobile cattle hospital for treating pens of cattle close to the pens.
2. Background of the Invention
Feedlot operations, typically situated in corn producing areas of the country such as the Texas Panhandle, eastern Colorado, Nebraska and the like, are in the business of raising cattle in such a manner as to maximize weight gain and minimizing corresponding time for the weight gain. Part of this cattle feeding technique is keeping the cattle healthy by periodic medical treatments.
The majority of treatments to which the cattle are subjected take place in the first few days and weeks after the cattle enter the feedlot. In particular, it is customary that the entire pen of cattle, which may comprise more than a hundred head, depending on the size of the pen, need to be treated as a group. In the related art, after being unloaded from the truck, cattle are typically placed in a receiving pen relatively close to a processing barn or facility. Soon thereafter, the cattle are first-round processed, and this process may include receiving various disease fighting shots such as IVR, and also may include hormone implants. After the entire pen has been treated, the cattle are returned to the receiving area, again relatively close to the processing barn. The cattle are again processed after seven days in the feedlot, and this processing may include additional or booster shots of various medication.
Working or processing cattle in this manner is a group effort on the part of employees of the feedlot. In particular, a plurality of men are required to run the squeeze chute in the processing barn, the squeeze chute being a device which captures a single animal and then allows the men safe access for application of the implants and medicines. Additionally, another set of employees, typically on horses, is required to move the cattle from the receiving pen to the processing barn and back. After the second treatment, cattle are typically placed in a semi-permanent pen. While working the cattle as they enter the feedlot is the primary time that these operations take place, the cattle as a pen may, at any time during their stay in the feedlot, need additional treatment, in addition to individual treatments.
FIG. 1 shows an overhead view of a portion of a cattle feeding operation. In particular, the cattle are placed in pens 10A–I. Separating a series of pens, for example a first series 10D–F and a second series 10G–I is a feed alley 12 through which feed trucks drive and place cattle feed in feed troughs 14. Between the pens on the other side is a working alley 16 (only one working alley shown in FIG. 1, but it is understood that between pens 10G–I and the corresponding set of pens to the right, there is another working alley, and so on). The working alley is generally used to relocate the cattle as well as providing access for cowboys on horses to enter and “ride” the pens looking for sick animals.
Thus, each time a pen of cattle needs to be treated, they are moved from either their receiving area pen or their semi-permanent pen into the working alley 16, and then they are driven to the processing barn (not shown). After processing is complete, the pen of cattle is then driven back through the working alley 16 into their respective semi-permanent pen. As can be appreciated from the discussion, moving the cattle from one location to another, whether it is the receiving pen or the semi-permanent pen, is labor-intensive. Additionally, each time the cattle are moved, they are stressed to some degree, which may affect weight gain.
Thus, what is needed in the art is a more efficient way to treat cattle in feedlot operations.